The Fifth Doctor
by ANGSWIN
Summary: Part 5 of my "Saving the Multiverse" series… The stars are going out and Rose needs the help of the Doctor – she just doesn't know which one! With the help of the TARDIS, she jumps into each of the Doctor's lives until she finds the one that she is looking for and forges an even stronger bond with him along the way… This series takes place after my "Torchwood Rose" series.
1. Chapter 1: TARDIS Trouble

****IMPORTANT**** This story takes place immediately after the "Children in Need" mini-episode "Time Crash" which also starred the 10th Doctor. If you haven't seen it yet, you can find it here on YouTube: watch?v=YXpHuRYjPJw

Also, the dates surrounding the first Cardiff visit have been played with, but that's okay since we all know that time is just a big ball of wibbly wobbly, timey wimey stuff, anyway! ;)

* * *

 **Chapter 1: TARDIS Trouble**

Rose could feel that something was _different_ with this jump while she was still in transition. The jump seemed to take longer than normal and she could feel the energy shifting oddly around her, almost as if it was trying to pull her into two different directions at once. She felt a sudden shift (as if a decision had been made) and then she materialized in the console room. However, she soon realized with amazement that she wasn't looking at the clean, white lines and roundels of her past Doctors' TARDIS, but at the organic coral struts, metal grating, and greenish lighting of her future Doctors' preferred desktop theme. What was going on here? Did she jump forward too far? Or did he start favoring this console pattern way before she started traveling with him?

She felt the TARDIS vibrating strangely under her feet, but her attention was drawn away from that by the man dancing frantically around the console. He was pulling levers, pushing buttons, and doing what sounded suspiciously like swearing in Gallifreyan. He had not noticed her, yet, so she took a moment to study him. He wasn't one of _her_ future Doctors, (so not Nine or Ten) but he might possibly be further out than that. Somehow, she didn't think so, though - mainly since the TARDIS was directing her jumps. Therefore, she felt like she was probably still on track and that this Doctor was still the Fifth one! He looked younger than the previous four Doctors, though, with his blond hair and smooth face. Plus, he was definitely what her leather clad Doctor would call a "Pretty Boy." He was certainly nice to look at, but she had to shake her head a little bit at his choice of outfit, though. What was it with her younger Doctors and their fashion sense? This one was wearing cricket whites with striped trousers, a long coat, and a sprig of what appeared to be _celery_ pinned to his lapel. Why, Doctor, Why? She asked silently still shaking her head in amazement, but then accidently laughed out loud in spite of herself. The Doctor at the console froze at the sound, paused from his frantic circling of the console, and looked warily in her direction. She watched as he blinked once, twice, and then a third time while he regained his memories of her. Then a truly beatific smile crossed his face as he said her name in surprise. It was a sight to behold and she felt her own heartbeat speed up in response.

"Rose!"

"Hello, Doctor!" She said warmly, meeting his eyes, and wearing a smile that matched his.

Just then the TARDIS gave a jerk and flung Rose to the floor. Then the ship tilted sideways and the Doctor was barely able to stay upright, but he managed to work his way over to Rose and helped her gently off of the grating anyway. He gave her the briefest of hugs before he guided her to the console and told her to hold _this_ lever while pushing _that_ button while he went to the other side to do the same thing – all while muttering about "Belgium - again!" The TARDIS gradually righted herself, but the vibrations coming up through the floor grating still felt _off_ – they were way too strong. It felt as if the ship was having a hard time controlling herself.

"Doctor, what is going on?" Rose asked confused and a little frightened – not for herself, but for her friend, the TARDIS.

"Let go of the lever, but keep pushing the button." The Doctor instructed her while he moved over to the station next to her and pushed another series of buttons. He then went on to explain. "We accidently collided with another version of the TARDIS earlier, and they merged. The Future Doctor and I only managed to get them separated again by spontaneously creating a black hole and a supernova. Fortunately, my personal time differential straightened out and put me back to normal, but _my_ Old Girl doesn't have enough power left to regulate the thermo buffer, so she can't stabilize – that's why she is still wearing this console theme. She needs to rest and recharge, but I don't know how far she can go in this state.

"Cardiff!" Rose said suddenly.

"Cardiff? Why would I want to go to Wales?" asked the Doctor curiously.

"You can recharge at the Rift! Don't you remember?" The Doctor continued to look at her oddly. He remembered that she had been the Director of Torchwood in Cardiff in her other universe, but…

"Here, let me refresh that memory." Rose gathered the specific thoughts of the Rift properties, as well as memories of her past (his future) visit with Jack, and all of her memories of other visitors using the Rift to harness the energy. Then using her free hand, reached over, and thought {Is this okay?} before touching his temple after his nod of agreement. He shivered a little at the feel of her touch, but then smiled at the information that she sent him.

"Rose, you are brilliant!" He reached over to give her a smacking kiss on the forehead (His eyes momentarily flicked down to her lips, though). He continued on, however, "We can land her on the Rift, recharge, and that should provide enough energy to stabilize those buffers. _When_ should we land, though? We don't want to run into your past self and another one of my future selves! There has been quite enough of that for one day! That is what started all of this mess!"

Wouldn't that be something? Rose thought to herself. Aloud, she said, "I don't really know. Let me see, I first met you in March of 2005. You brought me home a year late (she paused here to punch him on the arm where he uttered a loud "Ouch" and proceeded to rub the sore spot reflectively) when we met Blon the Slitheen the first time – so that would be around March 2006. It was at least six months after that (but not Christmas yet) when she was mayor of Cardiff, so I would say anytime after the start of 2007. How does that sound?"

"Very precise! Thank you, Rose. I'll just set it for anytime after New Years 2007, and we will let the TARDIS take us where we need to be – especially since you don't seem to think much of my driving skills." He rubbed his arm again, but Rose just laughed.

The TARDIS pitched sideways again then, sending both the human and the Time Lord sprawling. Rose ended up landing right on top of the Doctor, face to face, in quite an intimate position. They just stared at each other, embarrassed, for a minute before the Doctor tentatively reached up to tuck a wayward strand of hair behind her ear and away from her face. {Rose…} He thought, but didn't know what else to say. She just smiled and thought back, {I think she did that on purpose!} All three of them shared a mental chuckle. Even though the TARDIS was obviously in distress, she was still happy to see her Thief and her Wolf together and she was able to send that thought to both of them before shuddering violently again. The Doctor sighed, knowing that this was obviously not the right time for this and realized that Rose had come to the same conclusion when she gave him a quick kiss on his nose, rolled off of him, and pulled herself up with the help of the railing. He did the same and made his way back to the console. He checked his instruments worriedly.

"She is trying to materialize out of the vortex, probably at Cardiff, but something seems to be holding her back – something with the transtemporal shielding, I think." He said. "It is like there is still a piece of the other TARDIS here, but that can't be. They separated and left. I don't understand!"

"Transtemporal…" Rose muttered to herself, "across time." Suddenly a thought came to her. "Doctor!" she said loudly to get his attention over the violent shuddering, "You said that your TARDIS merged with a Future Doctor's one that had this console theme, right? What did he look like?"

"Oh!" He said, seeing what she was getting at. "He was a tall, skinny idiot in a suit and trainers… He was your Future Doctor, wasn't he?" He suddenly recalled her shared memories of that version of Future Him and unhappily noted the tears that sprang automatically to her eyes as she nodded.

Rose thought about it sadly. Her lost Doctor had been right here just a short time ago – right here in this very space! She had missed him by only a few minutes in linear time. Her future doctor, her future TARDIS… understanding suddenly flashed in her eyes. "Bollocks! It's me! I am the problem! I'm the piece of the other TARDIS that is still here. Bad Wolf, remember?"

The Doctor nodded suddenly. That made perfect sense. However, that would mean that the TARDIS couldn't stabilize while Rose was on board. He would have to drop her off somewhere, fly into the vortex to stabilize, and then come back to pick her up. He didn't have enough power to get anywhere else, though. It would have to be Cardiff. He just had to give the old girl enough of a boost to push through the barrier long enough to materialize there and let Rose disembark. It wasn't a great plan, and he _hated_ to do that to Rose (especially since he had just gotten her back!), but it was the only plan that he had. He had to do something _fast_ to stabilize the TARDIS before she shook herself apart!

He told Rose this, and she agreed that it was a decent plan. She was relieved that it would just be Cardiff and not some distant planet somewhere. It would be easier to handle – if the Doctor wasn't able to return immediately. He assured her that he would be back as soon as he could, but she knew from firsthand experience that things didn't always work out that way.

"Now for the extra power," he exclaimed as he opened up the bottom of the console and sent just a little of his own time essence into the power cells. He would be tired for a little while, but that should do the trick! "Can you do it now, Old Girl?" He asked his ship. The TARDIS was still shaking, but sent them both a hesitant affirmative.

The TARDIS started pitching again as she labored to push through the Vortex to materialize. The Doctor jumped out from under the console as quickly as he could between his fatigue and the erratic movements of his ship. He grabbed Rose's hand and looked at her apologetically. "I'm so sorry," he started. "I wouldn't do this if I could think of another way. I will get back as…"

His words were cut off when Rose pressed her lips against his for a quick kiss. {Just get out of here and then back as soon as you can… and don't take a year this time! OK? I am going to jump out as soon as she materializes.}

He just nodded, a bit stunned for a moment by the feel of her lips on his. As soon as his brain started working again, he pulled her in for a hug and blamed his unsteadiness on his ship while he murmured in her ear, "Brave heart, Rose. I promise that I will be back soon."


	2. Chapter 2: Separated

**Rose in Cardiff**

Rose stood and watched the TARDIS fade away. She wasn't very worried. The Doctor knew when and where she was. As soon as the thermo buffer stabilized and transtemporal shields phased properly, he would be back for her. It might take awhile, however. Meanwhile, she could see how this Cardiff compared to her own. Even though she didn't know what the date was here (she had forgotten to ask when they landed), it had been many linear years for her personally since that fateful day she had been here with the Doctor, Jack, and Mickey. She would have to keep out of the way of Torchwood, though. She was positive that there would be a hub here for the same reasons that there was one in her previous universe. In fact, they had probably already noticed her arrival. She certainly would have - if this had been _her_ Cardiff. She glanced around surreptitiously, looking for the tell tale signs. Yep, there were hidden cameras everywhere, including the one pointed right at her! There was nothing for it then, they had already seen her, for sure. Therefore, she just gave a cheeky wave and turned around to almost run right into the man standing behind her.

 **The Doctor in the TARDIS**

The Doctor found himself looking at the door as Rose exited. He wished he had been able to give her a proper goodbye, but he stayed at the console trying to keep the ship stabilized long enough for her to safely exit before sending the TARDIS back into the vortex to repair her shielding. He sighed with relief when the TARDIS finally stopped shaking quite so violently and he was able to lean up against the console to give the Old Girl an affectionate pat! What a strange day it had been – even for him! First, the Future Doctor incident and now…Rose!

What a surprise it was for him to look up and see her standing there! Even though he had to forget her between visits, the rush he felt every time he saw her again was intense – especially now. They had grown even closer during her visit with his last self and he had not forgotten what he had learned about her. The secret of her longevity, and all that could mean for them both, still thrilled him. He regretted that he had not being able to greet her more affectionately this time, though. Obviously the distress of the TARDIS had something to do with that. However, he also knew that as attractive as this body seemed to be, it wasn't as emotional or expressive as the last one had been. He hoped that wouldn't disappoint Rose since she was so naturally affectionate herself! He smiled, though, as he remembered that his body had still responded to Rose's proximity earlier, though, when the TARDIS had thrown them together. {Naughty girl!} He thought to his ship and she just hummed back delightedly! Plus, Rose had kissed him again. That was always a pleasant experience! He thought about her lips on his and grinned secretly to himself! At any rate, he was eager to get back to her as soon as he could, so he needed to get his ship back into shape! Therefore, he threw himself under the console with renewed purpose.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the Doctor stood up and surveyed his handiwork. The ship had steadied and the vibrations had decreased to the point that they could barely be felt through his high top trainers. He smiled and placed his hand on the console and sent a thought to his ship. {Feeling better, dear heart?} He smiled again at her affirmative humming. {Ready to go back and get Rose, then?} The smile turned into a frown when the ship did not respond immediately – and the frown grew even deeper when the TARDIS sent him a definite negative.

"What do you mean?" He exclaimed aloud. "We have to go get her. She is waiting for us!" He listened to her low pitch hum for a minute and then exclaimed again, "She's busy? What is that supposed to mean?" The TARDIS chose not to answer as the Doctor started to fume.


	3. Chapter 3: Interlude with an Old Friend

**Interlude With An Old Friend**

Meanwhile back in Cardiff, Rose gaped at the man in front of her. She had been positive that she would never see him again. Yet, there he was, standing right there in that familiar coat and a shocked look covering his handsome features.

"Jack!" she cried out with a strangled cry of surprise, and leapt right into his arms with tears streaming down her face. "You're alive!"

"Rosie!" He groaned into her hair, holding on to her as tightly as he could. "Oh, my girl! How are you here? Wait a minute. _When_ are you? You look exactly the same. This must be before…." He broke off with a choked half-sob. "But how? _He_ didn't mention this! What the hell is going on here?"

Rose held on to him tightly, crying unashamedly, until she suddenly remembered where they were. She pulled back from him quickly, and grabbed his hand, "Jack, I'm so very happy to see you, but we need to get out of here, now, before Torchwood…"

"Don't worry about them, sweetheart. They are not going to bother us!" He patted her back reassuringly.

"But they're evil here! And they are out to get the Doctor and anyone who travels with him! That would be us!"

"Rose, I promise you that you are perfectly safe here. I would never let anything hurt you!"

"But…" she tried to argue.

"I _am_ Torchwood, Rosie. I am the Director here in Cardiff." Jack said seriously, trying to put her fears to rest, and then wondered why his thought-to-be-lost-forever best friend suddenly dissolved into hysterical laughter.

"Oh, Jack, I think that we have _a lot_ to talk about! Well, let's get inside then! " she said wiping her eyes while grinning madly. She then surprised him by grabbing his hand and leading him straight to the perception-filtered entrance and lift.

"Rose, how do you know about …?" he began before she cut him off by placing a finger over his lips.

"Well, I did say that we have a lot to talk about, didn't I? Like the fact that I am the Director of Torchwood:Cardiff in the other universe!" Rose flashed another manic grin at him while he just stood there in shock for a moment. Then he realized that this meant that they were back in the same timeline again. He grabbed her and kissed her joyfully until they needed to break apart to breathe. Then he took her downstairs to meet his team who were all standing around the monitors watching them with amazement.

Jack gave quick introductions and Rose stared at both Gwen and Ianto for a moment, thinking about both the brave housemaid who had defeated the Gelth back in 1869 and about her dear friend and assistant in the other universe. Before she could say anything, though, Jack dragged her upstairs to his rooms where he gathered her up in his arms again. He kissed her again and would have made love to her out of pure joy – if he had not remembered just in time that she had been dropped off by the TARDIS - which meant that she had been reunited with the Doctor. However, if that was the case, then where was he?

Rose giggled as she pushed him away. "Same ol' Jack," she sighed happily. "I think we need to sync up our timelines first before anything else." She said to him. "It feels like we should be about in the same place now, and that is a really, really good thing! However, that means that I am missing a huge piece of the puzzle because I didn't think that you made it off of the Gamestation all those years ago." At this statement, her eyes started filling up with tears again. "The Doctor said that you did, that you were helping to rebuild the Earth, but I never really believed him. I thought that he was just trying to make it easier on me. What's going on, Jack?"

He gathered her back into his arms and just looked at her for a minute wondering why the Doctor hadn't told her anything. Maybe they had not been reunited long. If that was the case, why had she just been dropped off? Jack was confused, but decided just to tell her the whole story – and then hopefully she would fill in the gaps for him. Therefore, he told her his story – all of it – including his meeting with the Doctor again, the end of the Universe, the Year the Never Was, and his apparent immortality through all of it. She was in tears again by the end of it. "Oh Jack, I am so sorry! Could you ever forgive me? I didn't know that _any_ of that had happened!" He just held her, kissed her again, and in typical Jack fashion reassured her that it was nice that she loved him well enough to want to keep him around for awhile. He was very puzzled, though, when she asked him to tell her more about the Doctor.

"Aren't you with him? He didn't find a way to get you out of the other universe? Didn't he drop you off here?" Jack asked bewildered.

"It's …complicated, Jack," she sighed. "I haven't seen _our_ Doctor in about 13 years in my personal timeline. It could be even longer, though, for him, or maybe less - I just don't know. Time flows differently over there – and you know how he pops in and out of time himself… So please tell me about him first, and then I will tell you my story, I promise! I think that you will be surprised!"

"13 years, huh?" Jack looked her over carefully – she didn't look any older, but she did look more mature. She had always been pretty, but now she was gorgeous! She was all lean and muscular and golden! He definitely wanted to hear her story, so he went ahead and told her everything that he knew about their Doctor.

She was in tears by the time that he was done. "I'm glad that he's not alone." she said when Jack told her about Martha Jones and Donna Noble. She snickered, though, at the thought that of all the people on this Earth, he had chosen both Mickey's wife and her best friend's doppelgangers as his travel companions. She was grateful, though, because she knew that Martha had been good for him and Donna would keep him grounded.

Then she told Jack her story up to and including her Directorship. Jack was suitably impressed. He had always known his girl was special, and she certainly had accomplished a lot, but it was clear that she wasn't telling him everything. Therefore, he pressed for more. She sighed and told him that they might have more in common than just the Directorship in Cardiff. She then told him her secret and about why she wouldn't be going back home to her family and friends in the other universe. He held her for a long time after that and reassured her that she would always have a home with him if she ever wanted or needed it. That really did reassure her, because if there was anyone that she could love for eternity besides the Doctor, it would be Jack - even if he had always been more like a brother to her than a lover! He distracted her from these musings, though, when he asked her to tell him her current story about the Doctor – somebody had dropped her off in a blue box, after all.

"It's a _long_ story." she warned as she prepared to tell it. She started all the way from the beginning - with the discovery of the stars going out and the development of the dimension cannon in the other universe. Then, she told him how the dimension cannon eventually dropped her into the junkyard in this universe and everything that had happened since then.

"Wait! Are you telling me that you are working your way through _all_ of the Doctors?" Jack exclaimed and waggled his eyebrows suggestively while thinking of the possibilities.

Rose laughed and shoulder bumped him, "Jack, you know it's not like that!"

"Oh, do I? So you're saying that you haven't kissed any of them?" When Rose blushed, he knew that he had his answer. "What about the one you are with now?"

"The fifth Doctor? Oh, he's a pretty one!" she said enthusiastically. "You are definitely going to want to meet him! Hopefully, he will be back here soon, but we all know that he is a rubbish driver!" They both laughed at the truth of both of those statements. They sent out for some food and settled in for what could be a long wait. Much later that night, when the Doctor still had not arrived, Rose slept happily curled up in Jack's arms. Jack, of course, wanted more than just sleep, but he contented himself with having his best friend back in his arms.

In fact, it was over three days later before the Doctor landed back in Cardiff. During that time, Rose and Jack caught up, sharing stories from their time apart, and Rose helped him and his team with Torchwood business. She was able to identify some previously unknown items from their archives, showed them a Weevil hotspot in the sewer system that they had never noticed, gave intergalactic directions to a pair of telepathic Probolists who had stopped to refuel at the rift, and even sorted out a pair of ordinary human muggers who had tried to attack Jack from behind. As he, very impressed and quite turned on, watched her effortlessly take down the men by herself, he allowed himself to briefly imagine a future with her where the Doctor did _not_ return. He knew, though, that Rose and the Doctor (any version) belonged together. The two Doctors that he had known were completely lost without her. Now since she knew five more of him, and would probably know even more soon, he knew that the Doctor's feelings would only be intensified ( _despite_ those doubts that she had confessed to him!). Plus, there was the whole stars-going-out thing. That definitely needed to get sorted out first. However, it looked like Rose was going to be around for a _long_ time and since he wasn't going anywhere, who knew what might happen one day in the future? Until then, he would be happy with just sharing the same universe with her again. His best friend was back and he couldn't be happier – while fully clothed, anyway!


	4. Chapter 4: Return of the TARDIS

**Return of the TARDIS**

The chiming of the TARDIS alerted the Doctor that they were _finally_ going to materialize. She wouldn't let him know how long they had been in the vortex, though. Therefore, he could only hope that it had not been long enough for Rose to worry about him or get into some trouble herself. He, on the other hand, couldn't help to worry about exactly why she had been so "busy" that the TARDIS thought she needed her space for a while. He guessed that he would find out soon enough, however.

* * *

On the afternoon of the fourth day, the blue box materialized outside of the hub again. Rose sighed with relief when Gwen alerted her to it on the monitor. She had really loved her time her time reconnecting with Jack, but she had been quite worried about the Doctor. She knew that she made fun of his driving skills a lot, but she didn't realize that he would be gone _this_ long! She informed Jack that she was going out to greet the Doctor, and then she would bring him back into the hub to meet Jack and the Torchwood team.

* * *

Jack looked at the monitor with mixed feelings as he watched her walk towards the TARDIS, but he knew he was doing the right thing by letting her go when a handsome, albeit oddly dressed, blond man stepped out and pulled her to him in a swinging hug. Their affection was obvious, and he knew that he had been right in thinking earlier that she was meant to be with any and all versions of the Doctor. He continued to watch as this particular Doctor took her hand and led her back into the TARDIS. Jack just hoped that she wouldn't forget about him and leave without saying goodbye. He didn't really think that she would, but he couldn't help but worry. He had just got his best friend back and he wasn't ready to lose her again, yet.

* * *

Rose looked around her at the changed console room as the Doctor pulled her into the TARDIS. It had reverted back to something similar to the earlier Doctors' times, but with a little more color. It seemed to be a little more grayish-blue than the clean white that the earlier Doctors had favored. It also had more gadgets. Every Doctor loved his gadgets! Rose thought and sighed to herself. She looked over at him and noticed that he was looking at her – almost shyly – as if he were unsure of what to do next. He was still holding her hand, though, so she smiled at him and pulled him in for another hug and held him tightly.

"Where have you been, you alien git?" she asked quietly. "I was worried!"

The Doctor sighed and stood there in her embrace. He buried his face in her hair and whispered back, "I'm sorry. The TARDIS wouldn't let me come back sooner. She said that you were busy."

"Busy?" Rose asked into his shoulder, sounding confused. "With what?"

"She wouldn't tell me." He replied, still holding her, and took a deep breath of her scent. Then he stopped, looked puzzled, frowned, and sniffed again. No! His extra sensitive Time Lord senses picked up on something that he didn't want to be true! He took one more sniff to be sure. "Oh." He said, feeling something like despair, and stepped away from her. "You _were_ busy!" He tried to keep his tone even and steady, but bitterness leaked out anyway.

Rose caught his tone, looked at him with wide and worried eyes. "What do you mean? What's wrong?" she asked, placing her hand upon his cheek. He didn't answer immediately, but she could _feel_ his unhappiness. He continued to look downwards toward his shoes so that she wouldn't see the emotion in his face. {Doctor, please tell me! What's the matter?} She sent the thought out, almost desperately, as she sensed his increased withdrawal from her.

He stepped back again and closed his eyes. "How long was I gone?" he asked quietly.

"Almost five days," she said, puzzled – and a bit hurt- by his abrupt change in behavior. "Doctor…?" she stepped towards him again and reached out.

"Five days…" he whispered, almost as if in pain. "Then, it is _my_ fault! I wasn't here. You…" He finally opened his eyes and looked at her sadly as she placed her hand on his cheek again. "You found a man to stay with…His scent is all over you and …" and he found that he couldn't finish the sentence.

Rose just stared at him for a moment, stunned, and tried to figure out what he was saying. Then, to the Doctor's consternation, she started giggling. Even the TARDIS seemed faintly amused, he noticed irritably, trying to push down the hurt that he felt from their reaction. Rose calmed down quickly, though, when she saw the pain flash in the Doctor's eyes. She could tell that he really didn't understand, he had just let his jealousy take over – just like her future Doctors did – especially her leather clad one. Her heart swelled when she realized that this Doctor already cared enough about her to be jealous, but she knew that she had to explain the situation to him.

"No, No! Doctor you don't understand, it's not like that! I found Jack – alive! - and we are actually in the right timeline together!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Here let me show you!" Her hand went up to his temple again, he reached up to grab it and hold it with his own, and nodded his permission. His hearts slowed down their painful beat with relief…maybe it wasn't what he thought. Maybe she hadn't let someone else….

She sent him most of the memories of the last few days (only leaving out those that would have given away her secret). She felt him relax under her hand and his eyes flew open to meet hers. He brought her hand down – still holding it with his own.

His relief was almost overwhelming, but…"You slept with him." Oops. He hadn't meant for that to slip out – especially so petulantly.

"Yes, I did," she replied with a sigh, "but it was just sleep."

"He wanted more." the Doctor whispered and grimaced to himself. He couldn't believe the things that he was saying. He sounded like a jealous teenager, but he just couldn't seem to stop himself.

"Yes, of course he did," Rose answered with a shrug and added another little giggle, "but he _is_ Jack! He wants more from everyone! Just wait until he meets _you_!" This last was said with a twinkle in her eye.

"What?" the Doctor yelped and almost dropped her hand in surprise!

"Oh, yes!" Rose nodded and smiled gleefully at his discomfort. "Jack always flirted as much with Future You as he did with me…" She paused as she saw his wide, almost horrified eyes, and she laughed. "Don't worry," she said, patting his hand reassuringly. "He was _just_ our very good friend and still is, in fact. He has even… um…worked… with the Current You again while I was still over in the other universe."

"The skinny idiot?" he asked and she nodded. "Still," he said remorsefully. "I shouldn't have acted like that, earlier. I'm sorry. In fact, if you and Jack had … well… it wouldn't have been any of my business."

"It's more your business than you realize." she said softly and reached up to stroke his cheek gently. He gazed down at her and thought about how wrong he was when he thought that this body wasn't emotional or expressive. In fact, he found himself leaning down to show her just how expressive he could be, but was extremely disappointed to realize that she had already turned away and was walking towards the console. "Alright then," she said and he could hear the emotion in her voice even though he couldn't see her face, "now you need to open up the engines to soak up the rift energy so that the TARDIS can power up. Last time it took about 24 hours." Her voice was clearer now and more in control, so she turned around to face him again. "We also need to set the star scan to see if there are any anomalies in this time period. Jack's Torchwood didn't have strong enough equipment or I would have done it myself while I was waiting for you. While the scan is running, we can go see Jack. He can't wait to meet _this_ you."

While Rose was talking, the Doctor struggled to get himself under control from the unexpected rush of emotions that her words and her touch had caused. Plus, he was surprised about how much he liked the take-charge attitude that he knew she must have developed in her Directorship, but was now applying to their current situation. It took him a few minutes, but he was finally able to ask, "Jack's Torchwood?" when he found his voice again.

"Oh, yes!" she said smiling again. "He is the Director here in _this_ Cardiff. You do know that coincidences are what the multiverse does for fun, right?" They both laughed, and found that they were able to meet each other's eyes again, a bit more at ease since the awkward moment between them had passed. "Listen, Doctor, there is something else really important that I need to tell you about Jack that I didn't know about until I came back…" and she proceeded to fill him in on Jack's apparent immortality, her role in it, and the adverse reaction about it that the Future Him (and the TARDIS) had experienced, at first. The Doctor listened, surprised but not really amazed, since he already knew about Bad Wolf and the changes that Rose had gone through, as well. He watched her chew her bottom lip anxiously and wondered if she was ready, yet, to tell him _that_ secret. After a moment, she shook her head and changed the subject. He was disappointed because he wanted her to be able to trust him with that information, but he realized that he really couldn't blame her doubts. After all, he had yet to prove his intentions towards her! Again, he wondered just how he could do that.

He sighed and walked over to join her at the console in order to follow her directions regarding the power up procedures. He smiled when he could feel the TARDIS almost sigh with pleasure as the rift energy started to flow into her. He looked over at Rose to find her smiling, too, but blushing a little, as well. "It's almost orgasmic, isn't it?" she asked in an amazed whisper. He thought about what she was saying, and then started blushing as he felt it, too. He gulped hard and went to set the star scan. Then, eager to escape the now extremely intimate atmosphere of the console room, he offered her his arm and the two of them exited the ship. They headed to the hub to meet the infamous Captain Jack and his team.


	5. Chapter 5: Back at the Hub

**Back at the Hub**

As soon as the alien entered the hub, Jack could tell that the Doctor was affected by his "time affliction." However, that certainly didn't stop the man from grabbing the Time Lord as soon as he entered the room. Jack swung him around, gave him a big smacking kiss on the lips, and proclaimed "It's nice to meet _this_ you, Doc!" He then winked cheekily at Rose as the Doctor backed up in horror. "You were right, he is pretty!" Jack exclaimed before he grabbed her and went through the same routine again with her this time as the recipient of his attentions. She laughed and pushed him away declaring that he needed to tone it down because this Doctor wasn't used to him like the Future Ones were. She insisted that Jack was going to make him regenerate from pure shock if he kept on acting that way! Jack pouted a little bit, but continued to put on a good show. However, he noticed that the good Doc did _not_ like the way he flirted with Rose - based on the scowl that he received from him! He sighed and thought about the fact that some things never change. However, he was glad to have confirmed that this Doctor did indeed care about her. Jack didn't think he would have been able to give her up again, otherwise.

* * *

Rose had not exaggerated. The Doctor noticed immediately that Jack felt …wrong…very wrong… at first. However, he was completely distracted from this when the crazy man attacked him affectionately and then proceeded to do the same thing to Rose. However, as annoying as they were, these distractions did give the Doctor the opportunity to recover somewhat from the uneasy feeling that Jack inspired in his time-sense. Since he had been forewarned, he knew exactly what was causing it. Therefore, it was easier to push it to the back of his mind and leave it there. However, he knew that the feeling would never go completely away, but he felt like he should now be able to deal with it whenever the death-defying man was near. He also had to focus on pushing down the unexpected surge of jealousy he experienced when he saw Rose in Jack's arms. He realized that Rose had warned him beforehand that this was just the way that the man was – and apparently had always been! As long as Rose didn't seem to be taking it too seriously, he thought that he could handle it, as well. He would have to keep an eye on the excessive flirt, though – just in case!

* * *

Jack thought that, after knowing two other of his regenerations, he knew enough about the alien by now to have a good idea about what he was thinking. He knew that it would take this Doctor a while to trust him – especially around Rose! Not that Jack could blame him – after all, his thoughts hadn't always been pure when it came to his best friend. Not that he ever would act on it while the Doctor was in the picture, though – and that would probably be forever and always, - literally, he thought ruefully. However, he genuinely liked and respected the Time Lord. Therefore, he cheerfully introduced the Doctor to his team, anyway. He knew that they were all very interested in him and this peculiar situation. This was especially true now that they knew a lot of their common background story from their time with Rose. They were completely fascinated with the idea that this was the third version of the same man that Jack had known – not only that, but that this particular Doctor was an earlier version that had never met Jack before this! After chatting for awhile, the team reluctantly got back to work and Jack took the opportunity to take his guests up to the flat. They had settled down, with the Doctor in the armchair and Rose on the end of the couch closest to him. After a moment, Jack sat down on the opposite end of the sofa and asked tentatively if he could go see the TARDIS because he had really missed her. The Doctor considered the request with some surprise. He had never known anyone else but himself and Rose to form an attachment to the Old Girl. Maybe there was actually a reason the Future Doctor kept the extremely flirtatious ex-Time Agent around, after all! However, thinking about what Rose had said about the "almost orgasmic" quality of the refueling process, the Doctor thought it might be prudent to wait until the Old Girl was finished before reintroducing her to the randy man – especially if Rose was going to be anywhere around. Jack certainly didn't seem to need any extra encouragement in that area! Therefore, the Doctor suggested that they wait for the morning when both the refueling and the star scan would be completed.

They all agreed that it was a good plan and this segued into a discussion about the stars-going-out situation and what could cause it. They discussed the probability of the situation having an extraterrestrial cause – rather than a natural one. Jack, of course, was thinking of the Game Station and what the Daleks had done to the future Earth. However, he couldn't find a way to bring this up to the Doctor without explaining why the other Time Lords had not stepped in and helped when it came to their greatest enemy. He and Rose had already discussed the importance of not letting the younger Doctors know about the fate of Gallifrey too soon. Their first Future Doctor had been so devastated by the event that they weren't willing to make any other versions of him go through that again if they could help it. Therefore, without bringing up the specifics of his thoughts, Jack simply and sincerely offered his services, and those of his team, if it turned out that they could be of any help. He also wrangled a promise out of them that either Rose or the Doctor would contact him as soon as they found out anything about the cause of the problem and that he would join them then - if it was at all possible. He also promised to keep an eye out from the hub in the meantime and let Rose (and whatever version of the Doctor that she was with at the time) know if he found anything suspicious with the Torchwood instruments or through his contacts. Rose agreed immediately! She had made sure on the very first day in Cardiff that Jack had her super phone mobile number and vice versa. She did not plan to ever lose contact with him again! As far as she was concerned, they were all in it together for the long run, now – whether they actively traveled together or not! Plus, the odds were favorable that they were going to need all of the help that they could get once they pinpointed the source of the problem.

Meanwhile, the Doctor thought about Jack's offer and realized that, next to Rose, Jack was probably the best person on Earth to help him with the situation – especially when one considered his position, history, and…special talents. It was kind of reassuring to know that he had a long term ally on this little planet of which he was so fond. This was especially important because he knew that he probably would not be able to depend on any of his fellow Time Lords for assistance. Whatever the problem was, it would probably fall under the Non-Interference Rules of his people. Therefore, that left just Jack, Rose, and himself to deal with it. However, this thought of appreciation for Jack' assistance (and possible friendship) was also tempered with a fair amount of jealousy knowing that, due to the similarities of their circumstances, Jack was, and probably would always be, his main rival for Rose's attention and affections. All three of them were pretty much on equal footing in that regard, after all. Despite it all, though, the Doctor realized that he liked the self-proclaimed Captain and looked forward to the time when they would all travel amicably together in the future. As long as the man kept his hands (and any other body parts) off of Rose, of course!

The Doctor was shaken out of his reverie by a question from Jack. "Doc?" Jack asked. "I've been thinking. How do these non-linear meetings work for Time Lords anyway? Since you are meeting us so early in _your_ timeline now, will you remember us when we meet up for the first time in _our_ timeline later?"

"I've actually been wondering about that and worrying a little about it, too." Rose admitted reluctantly. "Future You certainly didn't act like you knew me, or anything about any of this, when we met in that basement or throughout our time together. Also, Future You seemed _really_ surprised, and not too particularly happy, to meet Jack when I first brought him to that hospital in 1941. Does that mean that the memory retrieval won't kick in when Future You meets Past Me for the first time? Will it wait until Current Me finds my first Future You on the TARDIS?" Then she groaned. "Ugh, just thinking about how to word this conversation makes my head hurt!" They all shared a laugh at that.

"I'm not exactly sure how it will work," replied the Doctor truthfully. "However, Rose, I think that you are probably correct and that the memories will not unlock when we meet for the very first time since they are tied specifically to this Current You and not Past You. As for Jack, I will probably store his memory separately. That way, it will open the next time Current Jack sees Future Me in the correct timeline – just in case he meets up with Future Me before Current You does." Both Rose and Jack nodded their agreement because that scenario seemed reasonable – to a group of seasoned time travelers, anyway.

At that point, they were interrupted by rest of the Torchwood team coming in to say goodnight. After they had all left for the evening, Jack suggested that the three of them order dinner and stay in. "That way we don't have to worry about being overheard while we tell naughty stories!" He said suggestively, wagging his eyebrows.

"Stop it, you!" Rose commanded, smiling, and giving him a shoulder bump. He laughed and put his arm around her while leaning down to kiss her. The Doctor found himself glaring daggers at Jack until he noticed that Rose had pushed away his face with her hand and that they were both laughing after she said, "No, not until you've been boiled for at least half an hour!" He realized then that this was an old inside joke of theirs and forced himself to relax. He continued to watch them joking around with each other and realized just how close their friendship was. He still felt uneasy with their affection, but according to the stories that they were telling, he would soon be a part of this close knit relationship, too. It certainly sounded like they all had a lot of fun together – in between the running and jail cell visits, anyway! This easy camaraderie combined with the appeal of traveling with Rose full-time almost made him wish for a quick couple of regenerations…

* * *

After several more hours of food, stories, jokes, and innuendos, both he and Jack noticed at about the same time that Rose was close to falling asleep. "Your place or mine?" Jack said in a pseudo-whisper that was calculated to get a laugh out of the sleepy Rose. He knew very well that the Doctor would insist that she go to her room on the TARDIS – especially if he already knew that she had been sleeping in Jack's bed with him every night since she had been here. He knew he was right when the Doctor gave him a look – one every bit as knowing as the one that the Future Doctor had given him on his very first night on the TARDIS when he had told him in no uncertain terms that Rose's room was off limits to him.

"Come on Rose, Let's get back to the TARDIS before you fall asleep right here." the Doctor requested gently. He all but held his breath waiting for her response. After all, she could easily decide to stay here with Jack if she wanted.

"Alright," she said tiredly as she stood up and stretched. The Doctor remembered to breathe again, relieved at her choice, even though he found that he had to avert his eyes from the picture that she was presenting with her stretching methods. A quick glance at Jack confirmed that he was having the same problem.

Jack noticed his glance and nodded at him with understanding and resignation. He still leaned over and gave Rose a kiss on the cheek, however. "I'll come over and see you and the Old Girl in the morning for breakfast, Rosie, and we will decide what we are going to do, then." He then threw a mischevious grin over at the Doctor. "Night, Doc! Let me know if either of you need a bedtime story." He winked at Rose again, making her giggle. The Doctor just shook his head in disbelief and led Rose down the stairs towards the front entrance. He was beginning to get used to Jack's endless flirtations, even if they were still a bit annoying.


	6. Chapter 6: Back in the TARDIS

**Back in the TARDIS**

The crisp Welsh night air revived Rose as soon as she and the Doctor stepped out of the hub. She breathed it in deeply. She had always enjoyed the quiet evenings in the Plass and had often taken walks there during her directorship. She smiled at the Doctor as they reached the TARDIS. "I think I am awake enough now to continue our nightly tradition – at least for a little while." She said hopefully. His eyes lit up. He had been afraid that he was going to miss out on that this time around!

"I will get the tea and meet you there." he said with a smile as he took off his jacket and hat and placed them on the omnipresent coat rack. "Go ahead and pick out a book."

He joined her in the library just a few minutes later. She had quickly changed into her PJs and was lounging on one side of the couch. She sat up when she saw him, though, and patted the spot next to her. His hearts leapt as he remembered that she had almost fallen asleep in his arms there during her last visit and wondered if they would have that opportunity again.

"So… what do you _really_ think of Jack?" she asked him as she took the tea mug out of his hand before he sat down.

"The man is a menace!" he said, but he was smiling. "However, he seems fond of you, so he needs to be given credit for his obvious good taste and intelligence, I guess. Over all, I quite like him. However, he better not ever kiss me again!" He looked over at Rose's sly knowing grin. "Oh no, _don't_ tell me!" he exclaimed, slamming his head into the back of the couch while Rose almost spit tea out of her nose from trying to hold back her laughter! "On that note…" he said sarcastically and he wrapped an arm around her, pulled her closer to him, opened up the book that she had selected, and started to read aloud.

After a few minutes, Rose set down her empty mug and snuggled closer under his arm. Just a few minutes after that, she declared sleepily that she was going to pass out right there if she didn't go to bed soon. "I don't care." he said quietly to her and stroked her hair with the hand attached to the arm draped around her. "Please stay with me." The last part was just a whisper, but Rose was more than willing to comply with his request. She sighed, snuggled even closer, and drifted off to sleep. The Doctor put down the book and shifted her slightly so that he could wrap his other arm around her, as well. He gazed down tenderly at the beautiful woman asleep in his arms. Finally! He thought to himself. Then, that expressive side of him, the one that he wished he could show her more easily, was back as he leaned down to gently kiss her forehead. "Goodnight, Rose," he whispered and then, basking in her closeness, closed his eyes, as well.

* * *

Surprisingly, Rose woke first. She experienced a moment of confusion until she realized where she was. Then the confusion changed quickly to surprise and delight! She had fallen asleep on the couch, in the Doctor's arms, and she was _still_ there! She wondered why he had decided to stay like this. In the past, he had always tucked her in on the couch or carried her to bed. However, this time he had decided to stay with her! She realized that she really couldn't complain about finding herself held to his chest with both of his arms wrapped around her. She listened to the double thrum of his heartbeats under her ear and just smiled. She felt so comfortable that she just snuggled closer to him, and therefore did not notice when his eyes opened.

* * *

The first thing that the Doctor noticed when he awoke was the soft warm weight in his arms. He looked down and couldn't help but to smile at the golden halo of hair spread out over his chest. It was Rose! She had actually spent the night in his arms! He continued to smile as he lifted his hand and stroked a strand of the golden wave off of her face. He was surprised by the sudden movement when her head shot up and he found himself staring into the deep amber pools of her eyes. He couldn't help but notice how close her face was to his and he made a sudden decision to take advantage of it. He slid his hand down to the back of her neck to gently pull her forward while bending his head down towards hers.

Just then a loud banging echoed through the ship and the TARDIS sent them both a visual of the guest knocking on the door. A hum of anticipation accompanied the scene. The TARDIS was apparently excited to see this particular guest again! However, even though she loved the man dearly, Rose was less than enthusiastic to see him right at that exact moment.

"Dammit, Jack!" She grumbled in disappointment as the Doctor sighed heavily and took a small detour to angle up and kiss her forehead.

"Would you like to go let our…guest…in?" he asked quietly, still holding her in his arms.

"No… but I will anyway!" she said. He let out a small laugh and reluctantly unwrapped his arms in order to let her go.

* * *

Jack stood at the door with a tray of beverage cups in one hand and a bakery bag in the other. He set the bag on top of the tray, so that he could use the now free hand to bang on the door again. "Rosie, come on! Doc, where are you? I've got breakfast." he shouted. Then he tried to wait patiently for one of his friends to open the door. After a couple of minutes, he banged again. "What are you two doing in there?" he shouted again. He then smirked as the door opened to reveal a very disheveled Rose – still in her pajamas.

"Don't say a word, Jack." She said menacingly as he opened his mouth to mention her apparel. "I haven't had my tea, yet."

Jack just laughed, knowing very well what she was like before her first cuppa of the day, and presented her with the beverage tray with a flourish. "For you, madam!"

"Thank you. Just for that I will allow you to live!" she said. Then she gestured to the open door. "You may now enter – but only since you come bearing gifts." They both laughed at that and he stepped inside of the TARDIS.

"Hello, Gorgeous!" Jack said in an awed voice as he looked the TARDIS over. Then he added a low whistle as he ran his hand over the unfamiliar console design. "I liked you in Coral, but you sure do look good in Retro!" he said admiringly. The humming of the TARDIS amplified and sounded joyful, welcoming the man back and appreciating his compliments. The two of them had made peace with his "wrongness" during the Year that Never Was incident, especially when he had spent so much time repairing the damage the Master had wrought by turning her into a Paradox Machine. Plus, she was very pleased that her Thief, Wolf, and Captain were all together. She remembered their time together fondly – even if it technically had not happened, yet!

Just then the Doctor walked in and frowned. "Are you flirting _with my ship_ , Jack?" He asked while he shook his head in disbelief.

"Absolutely!" Jack grinned unrepentantly and the TARDIS hummed with pleasure. Rose just rolled her eyes and laughed. Then she handed the beverage tray to the Doctor, grabbed each man by their free hand, and pulled them into the galley to eat and talk about their situation.


	7. Chapter 7: Memories

**Memories**

"Hey, Rosie," Jack grinned as he leaned back in his chair, balanced on only two legs, at the galley table. "Doesn't this bring back memories? Remember that time that I showed up starkers for breakfast and …"

"Which time would that be?" Rose answered while smiling fondly. "I recall that happening quite frequently." She looked over at the Doctor, who had hidden his face in his hands.

"You have got to be kidding me!" he mumbled. The other two laughed and even the TARDIS hummed amusedly.

"Don't worry, Doc. You're gonna love it!" Jack said in a conspiratorial tone. Rose just laughed again.

This easy camaraderie continued with more "Naked Jack" stories from the man himself, giggles from Rose, and sounds of almost pained disapproval from the Doctor (which just created even more amusement for her) until they were finished with breakfast . Then Rose excused herself to get dressed while the Doctor and Jack went to the console room to check on the TARDIS .

* * *

Jack walked around the cavernous room, occasionally touching the wall or a roundel and murmuring softly under his breath. The Doctor watched him for a moment, assuming that he was flirting with the ship again, and had to shrug off the irrational jolt of jealousy that this thought provoked. Couldn't Jack just leave his girls alone? Then he realized that he had made that thought plural – _girls_. He didn't even have to wonder what he meant. He knew that he was including Rose in that statement, too. He also knew that it would be no use to hold on to that negative feeling. He had to make his peace with the thought of Jack because he knew that the man was going to be around _forever_ – in one way or the other. If Rose was going to be in the Doctor's future, then Jack would be, too. That was a given. It was a good thing that he had figured out that he actually liked the man – despite his outrageous flirtatious tendencies!

Thinking of Rose, the Doctor sent out a gentle mental inquiry as to her whereabouts. He didn't receive a worded answer in reply, but did receive the impression of hot water and realized that she was in the shower with her mental shields only partially up. At the thought of what she was doing right at this moment – the water, the soap, the _skin_ \- the Doctor blushed and slammed up his own shields so that no inappropriate thoughts would accidently be sent her way. He then took a moment to compose himself before risking a glance back at Jack. He found the man looking at him with an amused smirk on his face. He suspected that the Captain must have a slight telepathic ability himself (which would explain his ability to communicate, at least partially, with the TARDIS) so he quickly found his voice and tried to act naturally as he pushed some buttons on the console.

"Fortunately, the Old Girl finished "refueling" in the night," he said, a bit awkwardly. "That was much quicker than I expected – even Rose thought that she would probably need about 24 hours. However, the star scans are still running. I guess that the TARDIS couldn't spare enough power to run them quickly. In fact, it looks like there might still be a couple of hours left before they are finished."

"What will we do when the scan is complete?" asked Jack, still smirking a bit at catching this Doc thinking about Rose in the shower. This version of the alien was certainly a lot more sensitive than the others that he had known, though, so he didn't mention the slight blush still evident on the Doctor's cheekbones.

"Well, if the scan doesn't show any anomalies, then it will be time for Rose to leave and jump again," replied the Doctor sadly. The smirk completely faded from Jack's lips at these words. "However, if something is found, then Rose will stay because we will then need to analyze the source of the anomaly and plan out our strategy accordingly."

"I'm hoping for the second option." Jack said grimly.

"So am I!" replied the Doctor softly, but forcefully.

Since neither one of them wanted Rose to leave, the two men just looked at each other in a moment of understanding – until the object of both their mutual affection and conversation reentered the console room with damp hair and her photo album.

"Is that what I think it is?" asked Jack excitedly as he pointed to the book under Rose's arm.

"Yep!" She grinned at his excitement, "photographic evidence from the days of Team TARDIS!" She smiled at the Doctor who was still standing at the console and then took Jack's hand to lead him over to a nearby wall. Together, they sunk down to the floor and eagerly opened up the book.

"This is going to be good!" Jack crowed. However, as soon as he turned to the first page, he became extremely quiet when faced with the picture of their first Doctor - complete with leather jacket and wide grin.

"Fantastic!" he whispered, tracing the picture with his finger. He then looked over at Rose with glistening eyes. She smiled gently at his reference and, with obvious emotion, they leaned together until their foreheads touched while the memories practically swirled around them. The Doctor looked over at them with a pang of jealousy in his hearts, knowing that those were not really memories of _him_ that they were sharing as they turned their attention back to the book. Not yet, anyway. Again, he felt a unusual pang of longing for the future when he would be as close to them as they were to each other.

"These were literally the best times of my life," Jack continued quietly, but then he perked up. "Hey, Doc! You want to come over and see what you get up to in your old age?" The Doctor was about to decline, knowing that he had probably already seen some of these events in Rose's memories. However, eventually his curiosity got the best of him and he went to sit on the other side of Rose. With the book now balanced on Rose's lap, Jack went on to explain the story behind each embarrassing photo while the Doctor silently marveled about the size of the ears on Future Him and how often the pictures caught Future Him frowning, albeit in a slightly amused way, at Jack or smiling affectionately at Rose. The Doctor noted that those smiles ranged all the way from thoughtful to sly to manic. However, a smile was always present on his face when Rose was in the picture.

 _That certainly explains a lot,_ thought the Doctor to himself as they continued their way through the large photo album. What puzzled him, however, was the glint of sadness that was also always present in his Future eyes. He tried not to think about what might have happened between now and then to put it there. He also had not forgotten how adamant Rose had been at protecting him from certain knowledge about his own future when she shared her memories with him. He pushed those thoughts away, however, because it would not do any good to brood over something unknown happening in the future. He knew that he would deal with whatever it was when it came to pass.

After awhile, Rose went to make more tea and gleefully watched Jack's amazed and grinning face as he realized that he was drinking out of his _old_ mug from his original travels on the TARDIS. His grin widened further when he realized that Rose had her original mug, too. Rose smiled and explained about the Mug Room that she had found while exploring with the Third Doctor.

"Brilliant!" Jack exclaimed happily and Rose smiled fondly at the use of one of the pinstriped Doctor's favorite words. Then he went right back to examining the photo album and trying to explain to the Time Lord exactly why there was a giant snake curled up on top of the Time Rotor in one of the pictures.

"Well, there was this girl that I met at a bar on Exaltis Six while you and Rose went to the market. Anyway, she owned a pet store and…" he started to explain while the Doctor shook his head in disbelief again. However, they were interrupted by a chiming sound coming from the console. "The star scan?" Jack asked softly. The three of them all exchanged a look before the Doctor nodded, unfolded himself from the floor, crossed over to the console, and checked the instruments.

"No anomalies," he said softly after a minute. He then looked up to find both warm brown and cool blue eyes gazing back at him in disappointment.


	8. Chapter 8: Goodbye, Jack!

"Well, damn!" Jack muttered, expressing what was on everyone's mind. "That's not the news that I was hoping to hear." He glanced over at Rose, whose eyes slid between him and the Doctor with an undecipherable look.

"I will need to get my things from the hub," she said softly, as she shook herself out of her reverie. "My jumping outfit is still at your flat, Jack."

"Oh! Well, I guess that means that you will just have to stay here, then, or jump naked!" exclaimed Jack in an obvious attempt to lighten the mood. "What would the next Doctor think about that? I'm guessing that he wouldn't mind too much if you showed up starkers in the console room. Huh, Doc?" Then the man waggled his eyebrows ridiculously. The ploy worked. The uneasy tension in the console room was broken as Rose gave a little snorting laugh and the Doctor smiled (and blushed slightly) at the thought.

"You always say the nicest things, Jack," Rose snickered softly.

"Well, I do live to serve," Jack smirked right back at her. Then his face grew serious. "I really do mean that, Rosie. I will _always_ and _forever_ be here for you. You give me a call on that super phone of yours, and I will come running - no matter _where_ or _when_ \- I am…or you are. I might need a little help with the _when_ , though." With those words, he gathered Rose up in his arms for a hug and then looked over her shoulder at the Doctor. The Doctor nodded slightly, acknowledging the request. Then the implication of the man's careful wording hit him - Jack knew Rose's secret! His eyes widened as he looked at the immortal man with the silent question in his eyes. Jack looked back at the Doctor and nodded. Now he knew that the Doctor knew, too. Rose wasn't as sneaky as she thought she was! Jack realized with relief that it was also evident that she had nothing to worry about as far as a future with the Doctor was concerned. However, those two would have to figure that out for themselves. There was no telling how long it would take, though. The Doctor and Rose definitely had a history (and a future!) when it came to being thick about their relationship!

Jack kissed Rose's forehead gently and pulled out of their hug. "I will see you up at the hub in a few minutes," he whispered. He then walked over to the Doctor. "I guess that there is no reason to drag out our goodbyes when there is a multiverse to save, Doc. It's been a pleasure, though! I think that it goes without saying that I expect you to take care of our little Rosie here until I see you both again. Of course, with the way our sexy little wildcat fights, she might be the one taking care of you!" He winked and then leaned in and gave the Doctor a friendly and, surprisingly, chaste hug. However, he then completely ruined the effect by smacking the Doctor on his butt on his way to the door. "Nice bottom!" He called out over his shoulder to the shocked man in a cheeky voice that belied the gleam of tears in his eyes. He stopped only to stroke the wall and whisper something to the TARDIS before he exited the ship .

"I guess I will go get my stuff and say my goodbyes to Jack while you prepare the TARDIS," Rose said softly and laid her hand on top of the one that he had resting on the console. The Doctor just nodded and gently squeezed the hand that she offered, knowing that however hard this was for him and Jack, it was probably so much worse for her. She then followed Jack out of the door, leaving the Doctor to deal with the overwhelming swirl of his thoughts while setting the TARDIS's controls for her voyage into the Vortex.

* * *

Fortunately, the hub was empty since it was the weekend. Rose was relieved because she didn't think that she could handle any more goodbyes today. The ones to Jack and the Doctor, the two men that she loved more than anyone else in this universe, were going to be bad enough. She pushed aside those morose thoughts and quickly climbed the stairs up to Jack's flat. Once there, she found him sitting despondently on the bed with a packed duffle bag next to him. She sat down and threw her arms around him. His arms came up around her automatically and he buried his face in her hair. They sat there just holding each other for a few moments until he pulled back slightly in order to look into her beautiful brown eyes.

"I love you. You're my best friend, you know," he said seriously, with no trace of his usual irreverent humor.

"I do, and you know that I love you, too!" she answered. They leaned their foreheads together for a moment.

"Promise me that you will call," he said calmly after they had separated again, "anytime really … but as soon as you find out, especially."

"I will. I won't lose you again!" she promised fervently and then kissed him sweetly. She hesitated for a moment before giving him a hug. She then grabbed her bag and headed for the door, trying to blink away the tears threatening to run down her face.

"Oh, Rose," he called out after her.

"Yeah?" she whispered hoarsely, glancing over her shoulder at him.

"Kiss the Doc goodbye for me, will ya?" he asked in his normal flirtatious tone, complete with eyebrow wag.

He was rewarded with a light laugh and then she was gone.


	9. Chapter 9: Goodbye, Doctor!

As Rose reentered the TARDIS, the Doctor could tell that she was trying not to cry. Of course, she would be upset about leaving Jack again. Without even thinking about it, he crossed over to her and put his arms around her for support. She leaned gratefully against him for a moment and then, to his surprise, leaned up to place a kiss on his cheek.

"That's from Jack," she said and then giggled a little at the expression on his face. They looked at each other with small smiles, but neither of them could think of something to say. After a moment, Rose sighed and reluctantly moved out of the Doctor's embrace. "I need to go change," she explained. "Is the TARDIS ready to go?"

The Doctor just nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He just didn't know what to say to comfort her, when all he wanted to do was keep her on _this_ ship with _this_ him. Knowing that wasn't possible meant that no words would come to him. Therefore, he just watched her walk away from him to go and prepare herself for her inevitable departure.

* * *

After a quick cry on her bed and another shower to try and erase some of the evidence of her weak moment, Rose donned her so called "jumping" outfit. There was no real reason to wear the same outfit each time, but she liked the consistency of it. She rationalized that it was like it was her armor against the universe. Right now, she felt like she needed as much emotional armor as she could get because she really dreaded going back into the console room to say goodbye. However, she knew that it had to be done, regardless. She took a moment to steel herself and to shore up her ragged emotions a bit. Rationally, she knew her maudlin mood really didn't make sense. She would definitely see Jack again and now she had the means to contact him whenever she wanted. Also, she realized that she would literally see the next Doctor again in just a few minutes. However, it just wouldn't be the same as being in the here and now with this Jack and this Doctor. She just felt like she had to grieve a little for this ending – before she could face the new beginning. She took a deep breath and headed back towards the console room.

* * *

He pretended to be busy at the console when he heard her reenter the room. He didn't know if he could look at her, yet. _How many of these goodbyes could he take_? he wondered to himself. Each one seemed to get harder than the last. He knew that this was because his feelings for her grew stronger each time she jumped into his life again. Last time, they had become emotionally closer. This time, their closeness had become more physical. He thought back to spending last night with her wrapped in his arms on the library couch and he couldn't help but to smile a little. He knew, rationally, that he would see her again in his next form and that he wouldn't even remember her until then. However, he still couldn't help almost being overwhelmed by the sense of loss that just the thought of her leaving was causing. He finally looked up to see her standing in the doorway, looking sadly at him, too. Without thinking about it, he opened up his arms and she rushed into them again. They stood in each other's embrace for just a few minutes, their blond heads touching. She finally pulled back and reached up to stroke his cheek.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye until next time," she said softly. She removed her hand, stepped back a few feet, and started typing her jump code into the wrist comp.

"No! Rose, wait!" the Doctor cried out a little bit desperately. He just couldn't let her leave like this, not yet. Not without…He strode purposefully towards her until he was looking directly into her warm eyes, glistening with unshed tears. Both of his hands reached up to cup her cheeks and then his lips crashed down on hers with an intensity that surprised them both. She gasped and stiffened momentarily in shock. _**The Doctor was actually kissing her!**_ However, as his lips glided over hers, and hers parted to accept his, Rose found herself relaxing completely, wrapping her arms around his waist, pulling him closer, and responding ferociously to his kiss. It was then his turn to be taken by surprise, but he recovered quickly and deepened the kiss once again! The kiss of all kisses continued until the Doctor realized that his respiratory bypass had kicked in and that meant that Rose would need to stop and breathe. As they finally broke apart and looked shyly into each other's eyes, they both became aware of the heavy thrumming of all three of their heartbeats. They also both felt that the TARDIS's humming had increased in intensity, almost as if she was cheering them on, and that she exuded an overall feeling of _**Finally!**_ into the atmosphere of the ship itself!

"Wow!" Rose murmured, leaning her forehead against his.

"Indeed!" he replied in a murmur of his own.

Their eyes met again and both of them smiled. Rose pulled his head back down towards her for another kiss. Whereas their first one had been intense, this one was soft and sensual. The Doctor felt himself drowning in it and he had no desire to be rescued. It was only when the rest of his body started to respond, that he knew that he had to stop. He touched his lips to hers once more, simply and quickly, and then gently pulled away.

"Now go," he said, his voice hoarse with emotion, "while it is still possible for me to let you leave."

She looked back at him and met his gaze. {Goodbye, Doctor.} she thought, looking in his eyes. She did not trust her voice enough to speak aloud, especially since her mind was still reeling with what had just happened. Then she smiled and her eyes brightened as a thought suddenly came to her. {Our next meeting should be … _interesting_ , don't you think?}

He smiled back, suddenly full of anticipation. {I can't wait to find out!} he answered. He watched as she continued to smile while she finished typing the jump sequence into the wrist comp. She looked up and met his gaze again for just a moment. Then, in a flash, she was gone!


End file.
